The Other Side of Me
by forensicsfan
Summary: Nick discovers an interesting tidbit of information about Sara, but she manages to turn it around on him for a little fun. NS friendship with hints of more.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I certainly don't profit from them, however, if it was up to me, Jorja Fox would have already resigned her contract and GSR would simply stand for "Gun Shot Residue".

**Author's Note:** Ok, I confess, I've been hanging out with my 12-year old niece quite a lot lately and our "Hannah Montana" fests have rubbed off on me to the point that I wake up with her singing in my head...but hey, she is the youngest artist in history to have two number one albums on the charts in less than a year, and she did bump Kelly Clarkson down to number two. Ok, I digress. This is dedicated to Medical Melanie (now officially a doctor, so she doesn't have to play one on TV anymore), Ashley (vacation bound, footloose and fancy free), Mariel (because her writing is wonderful), and Brianna (just because she's Batgirl).

* * *

Nick Stokes was headed down the hallway of the Las Vegas Crime Lab intent on finding out if Hodges had finished processing evidence on the case he and Warrick were working on when the soft lilting voice of Sara Sidle drifted out of one of the layout rooms, and he unconsciously slowed his pace until he was standing there in the doorway somewhat mesmerized by her habit of singing when she didn't think anyone was listening. 

"_Who said, who said I can't be superman? I say, I say that I know I can. Who said, who said I won't be president? I say, I say you ain't see nothin' yet_," Sara didn't seem to realize that she had an audience until a soft easy drawl broke through her thoughts. Her eyes snapped up in embarrassment and a faint blush colored her cheeks as she regarded her smiling coworker, "Uh, hey, Nick."

"Hey, Sar," He hadn't had the chance to work with her on a case in a while and while he was entirely amused at her song choice given the target audience, he was glad to have a moment to pause and just flirt with her, "You didn't really strike me as a Hannah Montana fan." The words were out before he realized the implications of revealing that he even knew _who_ Hannah Montana was.

Sara's brow arched up gracefully as a smirk stole over her lips, "And I wouldn't have thought you even knew who Hannah Montana was...trading in the Discovery Channel for the Disney Channel, are we now?" This was a priceless little nugget of information that she planned on using at some point in the near future. She briefly considered what Greg or Warrick might pay her for it; or maybe she could just use it to trade a decomp for something a bit less smelly.

Nick cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest as he tried to keep the redness out of his face, "I have _nieces_, Sara; Hannah Montana is about all they talk about...and for your information, her latest CD passed Kelly Clarkson on the charts." He looked entirely too smug in being able to cover up his tracks so quickly; it _was_ true that he had seven nieces, however, he also owned _both_ of the Hannah Montana CDs and his Tivo was set to record it whenever it was on; something that one Miss Sara Sidle did _not_ need to know if he had anything to say about it.

"So you really are a fan then if you know that," Sara's smirk morphed into a victorious smile as Nick seemed to get a bit flustered.

"Am not," Nick hoped that he didn't sound like he was blowing smoke out of his proverbial ass as he tried to defend himself. "I might have caught an episode or two the last time I had my family in town...but I certainly don't watch it." Even in his own ears he sounded like he was fumbling for an excuse.

"Now you sound like just like Oliver or maybe Lily," Sara had no problem confessing that she watched Hannah Montana; during her recovery after she'd been abducted and left to die underneath that car in the desert, she had plenty of time on her hands and somehow forensic journals didn't hold the same lure they had before her near death experience; she had needed something positive and sunny and somehow the Disney Channel just seemed to fit the bill.

Nick protested a bit too vehemently for someone who claimed to have only watched a few episodes of the Disney Channel original, "No, I don't, maybe Robbie Ray, but definitely not Oliver." He had a deer in the headlights expression in response to the gleeful smile that spread across Sara's face as the words spilled out of his mouth. His lips pursed together momentarily before his face took on a more serious expression and his voice dropped to a conspiratorial tone, "Ok, fine, I watch Hannah Montana...I just don't really want it to get out, ok?"

Sara snorted out a laugh, "Oh, I think it's too late for that; if you want to keep this quiet it's gonna cost you." She missed Nick; dating Grissom had taken up most of her free time outside of the lab for the last year and then after she'd been kidnapped, he hadn't quite been able to get over it and things between them hit a rocky patch. Technically at the moment she and Grissom were broken up; until he stopped trying to protect her from her job and deal with what had happened, she had insisted that they see other people.

"You can't be serious," Nick looked at her skeptically, "If Sanders gets a hold of this, I'm never gonna get another date as long as I live." Of course maybe the reason for that really was because he had a thing for Sara and he tended to sabotage himself before he worked up the courage to ask someone out; Sanders had literally become the ladies man that he'd painted Nick out to be for years; something that to a large extent had been shear embellishment.

"I didn't realize you were interested in Greg," She winked at him as his jaw dropped momentarily and then she let out a laugh that threatened to produce tears, "If you could see your face just then."

"You're not funny," Nick hadn't been embarrassed like this in a long time, and if he was honest with himself, he didn't mind a bit that Sara was the one that was laughing at his expense.

"You know I am," Sara looked at him appreciatively, she had missed all of this flirty banter between them and for the first time since she'd known him, she was picking up a vibe that maybe there was something behind the flirting besides just flirting.

Nick clearly didn't know what to say as he stood there a bit speechless.

Sara interjected as a soft smile replaced her gleeful one at the way he was studying her, "You want to come over after shift...maybe catch an episode or two of Hannah Montana?" She certainly wasn't ready to jump into another romantic relationship with a coworker when she hadn't really resolved what was going on with her and Grissom in the aftermath of her kidnapping, but she missed Nick and she wanted to spend some time with him.

Nick was a bit taken aback by her tone; she seemed to be completely serious and it took him a minute to digest that she wasn't using it as bait for a lead into another joke. He let out a soft chuckle and smiled, "Why don't you come over to my place...I've got a big screen, surround sound..." he cleared his throat sheepishly, "...and all of the episodes on Tivo."

His admission made Sara snicker, but she resisted the urge to tease him for it, "Yeah, I'd like that." She couldn't think of a better way to spend a morning after a tiring shift than to kick back with a good friend who happened to be sexy and very single and watch her favorite Disney show.

Nick's smile went full wattage, "Excellent." The day was definitely looking up and he felt a certain bounce in his step at getting to spend some quality time alone with Sara; he knew full well that she probably wasn't ready for what he wanted someday, but he was ok with that, maybe someday he'd have the opportunity to pursue that, but for today he was going to enjoy hanging out with one of his best friends.

He was almost out the door when Sara called out, trying to stifle the mischievous smile on her face, "Hey, Nick."

He glanced back over his shoulder, "Yeah?"

Her control slipped a little as the smile spread to her eyes, "You don't happen to have High School Musical on that Tivo too do you?" She snorted out a giggle as he straightened his posture to try and look more manly.

Nick arched a single brow as he tried to shoot a stern look her direction despite the smile that threatened to pull at his lips, "Don't push your luck, Sidle."

_**The End**_


End file.
